Jeterforks photos.

I'm trying to get back in the practice - taking proper photos - so I took some photos of my Jeterforks collection outside in the sun today. I think most wooden objects look prettiest in direct sunlight, rather than with flash. It also tends to show their true colour the most clearly.

Here's the whole lot in indirect sunlight:

Here's everything in direct sunlight. All photos should be clickable for more detail:

 

My preciouses! (Well, my non-furry preciouses.) Aren't they just gorgeous? I still can't believe all of this pretty comes out of the inside of a tree! I hope these photos do them more justice than the ones I took previously. There's a reason why these ones are keepers.

One day to go until the weekend. Yay! We've got some tidying/organizing and some painting to do. I wonder what everyone else will be up to this weekend?

 

 

 

Fork stuff.

Yay! The new bedroom floor is all finished so I'll have the time and energy to blog again now.

 

I thought I might start off blogging again with something I like very much, and that's my hair forks, mainly Jeterforks for today. This seller is one of the very best three on etsy in my opinion, based on the product and customer service. The top three all produce very different but very desirable things. I honestly think everyone should own a fork from each of these sellers.

 

Elymwold produces forks and hairsticks unlike any other. His work is more like jewelry to me than hair-toys, with inlays, burls and seamless combinations with a glass-like very waterproof finish. I am in awe of his skill. I have never seen anything quite like his work before. He's also one of the nicest people I have ever had the pleasure to ever deal with.

 

60thstreet produces beautiful slim-pronged forks in mostly dymondwood these days. There are so many different woods and topper shapes to choose from for quite different looks if you are lucky enough to grab a custom. These are somewhat addictive but very, very difficult to get a hold of, especially if you want natural wood or four prongs on your fork. These have a satin finish and on slippery hair days I find they hold best if I buy them a little longer to make sure a bit of prong pokes out at the other end of my bun or twist. The makers behind 60thstreet are very good people.

 

Jeterforks produces perfectly smooth, comfortable, beautiful, functional hair forks out of a variety of lovely woods. I have always appreciated the apparent strength and subtle beauty of these forks. He is available to create customs for you in your desired wood, topper shape and prong number. He is very friendly, genuine and helpful and a joy to communicate with.

 

Unfortunately during the time spent renovating the bedroom I seem to have forgotten how to take good photographs and I'm having what could easily count as a "bad hair month", so these photos don't really do my Jeterforks justice. I've included some older photos and I tried to get some shots of my newest ones in use, but the photos are quite blurry. Still, I'll add them to break up the block of text. I believe these to be much nicer in person than my photos. Also disregard the naughty, messy hair and imagine them in smooth, pretty hair.

 

Here's a group shot of all the forks I own. I had a few more but sent some of my larger ones to friends when I realized they weren't getting nearly as much use as my favourite figured cherry wood fork. I hope they're enjoying them.

From left: Purpleheart, Black and White Ebony, Bocote, Purpleheart, Mahogany and Figured Cherry.

About Jeterforks:

 

They have a reliable gentle head curve. This makes them very comfortable.

 

They are always sanded very smoothly. I have never caught hair on a rough part (because there are no rough parts) or prong end on any of these forks. They are consistently hair safe. The only other fork sellers I can say that about are 60thstreet and Elymwold. You can absolutely tell that Mr Jeter has a long-haired wife because he 100% respects the need for wood to be snag-free and hair friendly. This is a great quality for a seller to have. You can trust him with your hair.

 

The very tips of the prongs have a nice taper to gentle points, so they aren't stabby at all, but still slide into hair easily. No worries about poking anyone's eyes out. More great news.

 

Black and white ebony



The newer Jeterforks are much more slim-line in profile than the older ones. I didn't mind the size of the older ones and found them to have beauty and charm but for some people the slimness will increase comfort certainly. They still work well and look strong to me. The prongs are even along the length rather than tapered (until the tips) and that's one of the things that differentiates these from some of my other forks by other makers. This makes them hold differently too, which is good news if my hair is in a uncooperative mood and is spitting out forks made by someone else. I find that I can use a shorter Jeterfork than a 60thstreet fork and it will hold the same way. This is neither a good nor a bad thing for me, just a fact, but may influence the purchase of someone who minds how much the fork prongs show in an up-do.

 

My Jeterforks have a silken smooth finish rather than a satin shine about them. I wonder if this contributes to their ability to hold so well? Or it might be the smaller gaps between the prongs than some of my other forks. Or the straight, wide, yet slim-profiled, even prongs? Whatever it is, it works!

Mahogany

I don't think these are waterproof or even water resistant so I wouldn't recommend wearing them in the rain or damp hair at all to keep them safe. Maybe I'm just being over-protective of them but better safe than sorry.

 

I am very happy to own these forks. They are incredibly good value and well made and Joshua is so helpful with custom orders and convos. I will always be grateful to him for letting me know he had that black and white ebony fork available for purchase. It's one of the most beautiful non-burl pieces of wood I have ever seen, and finished well too. I will treasure it and finally my first purchase ever, my incredible swirly cherry wood Jeterfork has competition for favourite Jeterfork.

Figured Cherry

I would recommend owning a few of these forks in a variety of woods, prong numbers and length as this seller produces reliably hair friendly and very functional hair forks from beautiful wood in a variety of shades. It's definitely difficult to stop at one, or two.

 

I have heard that some people look at the listings and think they'll be too "chunky" compared with some of the thinner forks like 60thstreet, but I honestly disagree. I believe that everyone I know who has tried them is very fond of them and would definitely purchase from this seller again. Some of my friends have accumulated considerable collections. I know I'd like a couple more with three prongs.

Bocote

 

Last of all, one last link to his Etsy shop. If you are feeling enabled, click here.

Been busy!

Pulling apart the bedroom and replacing the flooring has taken up almost every spare bit of energy myself and Mr Cardigan have had for the last week. The end is finally in sight. Here's hoping that the floating floor will actually last for the 15 years the (extremely limited and highly conditional) warranty is valid for.

I feel like this:

Fingers crossed I can get back to blogging properly once everything is back in its proper place. I know the dogs are sick of the humans wasting all their energy prettying up the house.

We're doing it because you shed so much, silly corgis. It'll make fun tapping noises when your claws need clipping too. Surely that's worth us being boring for a week?

I'm really enjoying the good company at Untangled Island, the new private hair forum where many nice people are gathered. It is friends only, so that is extremely positive. Good company, no spammers and no creepers. I'm glad that most of the people I like online made their way there. There are a couple of people that I really miss, but maybe somehow they'll hear about where I've gone.

For being away so long I offer you a cardigan corgi on a swing and hope you'll all keep checking in.

 

 

The pics are from the "I Can Has Animals" section at http://cheezburger.com 

I love that place. So good for a laugh.

 

 

Hairtoy storage

The way people like to store their hairtoys is a highly individual thing, and I would guess it depends on many different factors, including how many you have and how much you value them.

I LOVE mine, and want to do everything I can to protect them and keep them nice, but I discovered a while back that if I stored them all safely away, snug in their baggies they just never got used. So I have found that for me, the best compromise is to keep them sealed up in clear boxes, sitting on padding. This way I can see them, and they are protected from being scratched and from too much air exposure. I also store them in an area that never receives direct sunlight, and keep the dymondwood ones boxed up in a dark place, but they are in the same clear container so I can still see them when I look for them.

I went as far as to buy another box to get the proper details for you guys. So generous, right? It had absolutely nothing to do with wanting another box so I could space my Elymwold pairs out so they don't touch... I need a tongue-sticking-out smiley for here.

Here's some photos I took for you lot:

As you can see, they each have 6 slots, and each slot is 20cm long and 8 cm deep. They fit 60thstreet forks perfectly without removing any dividers. The little felt bags that come with 60thstreet forks fit in the bottom of these slots perfectly. I remove dividers to give proper room for some of my wider hair forks, such as my new rather spectacular Elymwold  fork, my two Baerreis nautiluses and my favourite cherry and purpleheart four pronged Jeterforks. 

 

 

If the forks don't have a soft bag to rest on I will lay them on top of soft white padding, or bubble wrap if they already have a sheer bag around them. I recommend white padding to eliminate the chance of any colour transfer from the fabric or padding to the wood.

 

Here's a pic of my Elymwold forks in their box on soft white padding, and a pic showing how they are still clearly visible when the box is sealed. Ideally I'll have these pairs spaced out so there is only one fork per slot soon.

 

 



The boxes stack wonderfully, and click shut with a tight seal and I would recommend them to anyone. I do have one small quibble, and that is with the labels on the box. The first couple boxes the stickers came off cleanly and easily, but my most recent two purchases have involved more than fifteen minutes scratching away at the labels which tear into tiny little pieces leaving paper and adhesive behind. A bit of time and patience and some methylated spirits and I got them completely off, but I don't have the energy to waste on things like that. I wish they'd have kept the nice easy to peel labels.

I bought these at Bunnings Warehouse in Australia. I'm not sure if they are available anywhere else, but the label has the brand and BUN on it clearly.

I'm just happy that I can keep my hair things pristine and see them at the same time.

Hope everyone has a good weekend. We'll be busy tearing up carpet. Well, to be honest Mr Cardi will be the one tearing up carpet and I'll help however I can.

Cardi.

Another Elymwold hair fork.

I know, I promised more photos today but I got side-tracked and ended up having fun with the dogs and my family during photo o'clock.

Worth it!

I did make an effort to take a couple photos tonight to show the second Elymwold hair fork I purchased along with the ebony and burl one in my last blog. That's this one here. Nigel's photos are much, much better than anything I managed to take today, but I did get a shot of it in action, and a close up of the topper which shows quite nicely how stunningly beautiful it is.

 

The ripple of the grain pattern is gorgeous! I really like the subtle crushed gem inlay as well.

 

 

I really think this fork is fantastic. It's a good size for me and holds nicely on its own without a twin, although I don't doubt that someone with more hair than I have could easily wear a pair of them with style. I love yellow, and huon pine is such a great shade of yellow without being too bright. Huon pine smells amazing to me as well, so that was a nice bonus.

 

 

I am very, very, happy with my latest purchases and hope you like them too. I wish for all of my hairy friends to eventually own a piece or two, or three, or more, from Elymwold. I can equally recommend both Nigel's hairsticks, hairforks and customer service as being exceptional.

 

Cardi.

 

 



New Elymwold Forks Arrived Today

 

My new Elymwold forks arrived today and they are beyond gorgeous! They put all my other beautiful hair toys to shame. (Sorry other forks, but it's true.) It was too late by the time I had unwrapped them and stared adoringly at them for a while to get a proper photograph of them out in the sunshine, but that gives me something to look forward to tomorrow.

I just can't put what I like about them so much into words. They're just beyond wow. Mr Cardigan thinks they are the nicest of the bunch too.

So, since I've been left lacking in descriptive vocabulary, here is the link of the one I am wearing right now. With my husband's help I was able to get a photo which almost does it justice.

 

 

I can't believe how well it holds a really loose puffy bun. It felt on the heavier side of my hairtoys in my hand - (to be expected from a piece of ebony so large) - but I can't feel it in my hair. The weight distribution is perfect. I'm so in love!

 

Now to take care of it so my little niece can inherit it one day.

 

More elymwold fork photos to come soon. Many thanks to Nigel for his beautiful work.

 

Cardi

Stalking my mailbox.

I have no idea when the things I recently ordered on my luckiest day ever (also known as Paypal Insanity Day) will arrive, but I am stalking the mailbox, waiting for the prettiest things I have ever purchased to arrive. Something might arrive today, or tomorrow, but it might be a month for the rest of it.

Thank goodness Elymwold is based in Australia. I'm so lucky that I don't have to wait a month for things from him to arrive. I would go mad with excitement, I think. So many of my loved ones who aren't interested in my hair things, or pretty wood grain at all can recognize the beauty of his work.

A very nice person on the private hair forum I now frequent said the nicest thing about Elymwold today. I hope she passes it on to Nigel, because it is true. She also posted a gazillion pretty photos of hair things and I was in awe of her gorgeous collection. It's not just me, see. Other people have discovered how wonderful quality hair things can be.

I was looking for mailbox stalking memes and I found one I couldn't resist posting:

 

I'm so excited and over-eager that I am sure disappointment awaits today. I predict a bill, or maybe two or three just to rub it in. Also, no parcel. *Crosses fingers for a parcel and no bills* 

 

Mailbox corgi puppy, please beg me a parcel. Thank-you.

 

 

Cardi.

 

 

 

No mail today. Only a bill.

 

Tomorrow!!